Stubborn Memories
by FatesMistake
Summary: Harry, Hermione, Draco, and Snape have been stubborn for far too long. What happens when the four of them are put in detention by Dumbledore and are forced to watch select memories from one another's minds? AU, Harry defeated Tom in 5th, Snape is vaguely accommodating. Rating for safety. Partly from Draco's POV.


A/N: Not really much to add to the Summary. Dumbledore's an ass, I'll always believe that, and Draco gonna get some! I know, I include him in my stories and never get him any, so I thought I'd throw you Malfoy lovers a bone. It's a small one, really just some rawhide wrapped up like a bone, but I'm counting it none-the-less. Any of you who think I'm exaggerating Hermione's wealth in this should consider that one Galleon is equal to about a hundred pounds and Hermione got 10 Galleons for her 14th birthday. Think about that. Snape's a little fluffy, but mostly I made him sort of apathetic.

* * *

Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, and Hermione Granger walked into the classroom where they'd been told to meet for a joint detention. They all took seats at the only desk in the room to wait on the Headmaster, who had given them the detention via notes. After a few minutes, Harry could hold his tongue no more.

"Does anyone know why we've received this detention?" He asked at last.

The other occupants could only shrug. "My note only said it was for 'conduct unbefitting' and to come here, but nothing of what conduct, or in what capacity it was unbefitting," Hermione answered him.

"My note was the same as the mudblood's," Malfoy said, surprise touching his voice. The insult was no more than a casual reference after so many years.

Harry frowned. "So we all got the same note. I wonder what we've all done wrong?"

"Knowing you three, it was something disastrous," Answered another voice in the doorway. They all turned to see Professor Snape moving into the room.

"Are you here to serve us our detention, Professor?" Hermione queried.

Snape sneered at the girl. "No," He told them. He took the fourth seat at the desk, beside Harry, and looked decidedly uncomfortable as they all waited in silence. After a few more minutes of awkward shifting in their seats, the Headmaster entered, the twinkle gone from his eyes.

"I'm sure you four are curious as to why I've called you here for this detention," The old wizard began.

"Headmaster, I really think-"

"No, Severus, do not protest," The Headmaster interrupted. "I have grown weary of you four behaving as you do, and you especially. You have refused my attempts to show you the truth of things, and these other three have refused to see what was so obvious. Because of this, I am giving you no choice."

Harry huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "As if that's anything new," He muttered distastefully, thinking of the many times he'd been given no choice by the Headmaster. He saw Snape glance at him, surprised, but thought nothing of it as the manipulative wizard began to speak again.

"I am going to cast a spell on the four of you. This spell will enter your minds and choose however many memories it finds necessary for you to see the character of the people beside you. You will all fall into a trance and be transported to one another's minds for the duration of these memories. You will see every interaction and hear every thought that the owner of the memory had the day of the memory. You will not awaken from your trance until the spell deigns that you have learned enough, or that you will learn nothing at all. There is no use arguing. As I said, you have no choice." The Headmaster explained.

Immediately Hermione and Draco began spouting about the legality of this process and how they would retaliate for such a brutal and unfair breach of their privacy. After a few moments, the two 17 year olds stopped, seeing that the Headmaster would not be swayed, and turned angrily to their counterparts.

"Are you not going to argue?" Hermione demanded of Harry.

The small Savior shrugged. "There's no use, 'Mione. We're just pawns to the Headmaster, tools to be used as he sees fit. Arguing is a waste of breath, not one of us can out manipulate him."

"Potter is correct for once," Snape said smoothly as Draco stared at his mentor in horror. "To protest when the Headmaster has so clearly made up his mind would only prolong the inevitable." The four of them stared up at the Headmaster as he began to weave an intricate spell. "Our only hope is that this doesn't take long." A flash of light then filled the room and the four would-be adversaries fell into the promised trance.

MEMORY OF HERMIONE GRANGER

Draco scoffed as he realized whose memory he was in, and which memory it was. He watched as his host stared at a book. "Oh, this will surely teach me all about Granger." He mumbled.

"Hermione are you even listening to me?"

Hermione looked up to see Ron on the bench beside her. 'When will he leave me alone?' She thought angrily. "Yes, Ron, you were complaining about your broken wand."

Ron frowned. "As a witch I'd think you would understand, Hermione. I'm no good without my wand, it needs to be replaced."

Hermione huffed. "Then owl your parents, or Ollivander. He has a payment program for his wands, Ron."

Ron scowled at her. "Do you know how much trouble I'm already in? Anyway, it's Harry's fault, he should have to replace it."

"How is it his fault?! You're the one who _knew_ the school would send for you, you're the one who chose not to wait for your parents because you were afraid you'd get into trouble, and I know that it was your idea to use your dad's car!" Hermione said, bowing up at him.

Weasley sniffed. "Yeah, but it's Harry's fault we missed the train in the first place, because of some stupid elf. Maybe if he sees my wand backfire more spectacularly he'll offer to replace it. And here's the perfect opportunity."

Hermione looked around as Ron took off. "This can't be good," She said, watching as the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams converged in the middle of the courtyard.

"Relax, Wood, we've got a note," Flint was saying as she walked up.

Hermione took note of Malfoy standing smugly in the back while she half-listened as Wood read out the message Snape had written.

"_I wasn't being smug, I was bloody terrified!" Draco protested. "I wanted to be a chaser, but my dad insisted I be the damn seeker so I could beat Harry bloody Potter! I knew I couldn't do it. But…I had to make the team respect me, because a Malfoy is nothing if not respected."_

"Well, at least no one on Gryffindor had to buy their way onto the team. They got in on pure talent," Hermione said harshly. 'Why do I let him bother me?' She thought. 'He's no different from the boys in my Muggle schools, just another spoiled brat. Then again, I'm more than a little spoiled myself,' She added, thinking of her old private schools and the three horses she had back home. They were gifts, as were most of her things, for good grades. She sighed as it struck her that even as a witch, good grades was still the only time her parents seemed to notice her. 'They have to work,' She excused. 'And the point is that I've never let the spoiling effect me.' She gasped aloud as Malfoy called her a mudblood, but didn't feel the horror that she knew she should. 'I've been called worse,' She thought bitterly. She forced herself to start crying as Ron stepped forward to 'avenge her honor', but the tears came more easily when she remembered from a few moments ago that he was only doing it to try and con Harry. 'He's an awful friend, but at least I've got one.'

As the memory began to fade, Malfoy felt ashamed at how he'd behaved towards Granger. They were a lot more alike than he'd thought, and if anyone had known of her parent's money she'd have been in the same boat as he was, with no real friends and a line of fake ones hoping for a hand out. _'I'm an idiot,' He thought, wishing for a hard surface to bash his head into. He sat in the dark space he assumed was the precursor to another memory and went back over everything he'd seen and heard. Quite suddenly he was wishing for the hard surface again, but this time it wasn't his head he wanted to bash, it was Weasley's. 'I knew that bastard was no good.'_

Another memory began to form. Granger was standing in a corridor and several Slytherin girls were poking fun at her for being a know-it-all. Draco felt sympathy as the girl was slowly reduced to tears. Suddenly, there was a flash of light in the corridor and a bang, smoke filled the area where the Slytherins had been standing. When the smoke had cleared, the girls all had comically large bucked teeth and large, rainbow colored hair that Hermione thought might be an afro. Quickly the four girls dispersed, now crying themselves, and Hermione looked up to see the Weasley twins crawling along the ceiling. She smiled. 'This is why I've stayed Ron's friend for four terrible years,' She thought as the twins repelled down. 'Because his family makes me feel like one of their own.'

"Told you the Sticky Hands would come in _handy_ today, didn't I George?"

"That you did, Fred, glad we didn't leave the dorm without them." Hermione grinned as the twins wrapped their arms around her shoulders. "Come on Hermione, what do you say to some totally against the rules ice cream down in the kitchens? You can tell us all of the new things we're targeting Ron for."

"And perhaps explain again why you've commissioned us to pay him back, instead of just telling Harry what a prat our brother is."

Hermione smiled at them sadly. "I told you; if I tell Harry and he doesn't believe me, I'll lose both of my friends, and if he does it will only cause more problems than it solves. He has to find out on his own."

George nodded in acceptance. "Alright, Hermione, we'll take your word for it. Maybe if we're lucky this new crap Ron's pulling about Harry putting his name in the cup will finally convince Harry to stop being Ron's friend. But you know, you'll both always still have us, right?"

Hermione nodded and allowed them to escort her to the kitchens.

_'So it's just the one Weasley? I've always admired the twins, when they weren't targeting me…perhaps it's time I tried to get to know the family mine has hated for so long…'_

MEMORY OF HARRY POTTER AS VIEWED BY HERMIONE GRANGER, **SEVERUS SNAPE**, AND _DRACO MALFOY_

Harry sighed as he walked into the store and a clerk came immediately forward to fawn over him. "Harry Potter, as I breathe, however may I help you? I…my, that is an incredible shiner! Do you never stop saving people?" She asked.

Harry frowned, wishing he'd never stepped into the Diagon Alley branch of Gladrags…but he'd heard Malfoy recommend it to Zabini on the train home last term, and he couldn't stand the thought of getting lost in London. 'She probably thinks I rescued a baby from a charging Manticore or some ridiculous notion like that, but Malfoy told Zabini that they have the most accurate Muggle clothing.'

"I…Could I just see some shirts? I need some dress shirts to wear underneath my robes for Seventh Year, and some more casual ones for the weekends," He told the girl, smiling. **'Typical Potter, encouraging his fame by not denying whatever stupid thoughts the girl is having,' Snape grumbled.**

"Of course! Was there a particular fabric you wanted?"

Harry shrugged. _Malfoy rolled his eyes. 'Sod doesn't even know what he's shopping for. Doesn't know anything about our world or his bloody own.'_ Harry looked around the store. "Is there a chance you have 100% cotton? Polyester makes me itch, a bit. For the dressier shirts, I'd like Egyptian cotton or woven silk, not stitched, if you've got it." He told the girl. 'Thank you, Lavender, for leaving your fashion mags around the common room.'

Hermione giggled. 'Lavender would never believe me if I told her who was stealing her magazines. She's been complaining about it since last year.'

"Oh, planning to look nice for someone?" The shop girl pouted.

Harry rolled his eyes. "No, it's my last year at Hogwarts, and at the insistence of the Goblins, I'm going to dress to my station."

The girl stared at him with starry eyes. "You're taking up the Lord title? Gosh, you're amazing, and so responsible."

Harry growled internally. 'So everyone does know…I was hoping the Goblins were mistaken when they said it was common knowledge that I had two titles and fortunes waiting for me upon turning 17. Wonder why that manipulative old coot never mentioned _this_.' Outwardly, he waved the girl off. She led him to a dressing room, and stood him on a pedestal to take his measurements.

"Will…will you be wanting pants as well?" She asked hopefully.

Harry shook his head. "I prefer to have Madame Malkin make my pants, so I know the hem won't look weird with my robes. An uneven hem looks so…unkempt, y'know?" The girl agreed, failing to hide her disappointment.

"Well, go into the dressing room, and I'll find some different styles you might like. If you like I could grab some designer t-shirts as well," She said. She chuckled when Harry wrinkled his nose. "No t-shirts then. Don't worry, there aren't very many who wear them during the school term, most purebloods wear them at the Summer, though."

Harry smirked as he moved into the dressing room. "That's because unless you're a hobo, it's the only appropriate time to wear them. I'd like to look at a couple jackets, though, now that you mention it. Something soft, but warm, but not actually a coat. Like a dress jacket, but functional."

The girl nodded. "Of course. I'll just go find those trims for you."

Harry sighed as she finally left, then closed the door to his room. He took off his shirt and turned to look at himself in the mirror. 'Uncle did a real number on me this year.' He thought, tracing the new bruises and belt marks crisscrossing the old ones. He touched his still-tender eye and winced. 'Can't blame him, it was his last chance to try and convince me of his way of thinking. But nobody is right, Vernon, nobody. There's nothing wrong with Muggles, and nothing wrong with Wizards. Anyone who thinks different should reevaluate their priorities.' He heard the girl moving back towards the dressing area and cast a hasty glamour over his injuries.

'Oh, Harry.'

_'Who'd have thought…Potter was just a tool all these years. We all thought he was a spoiled, pointlessly worshipped brat, but really he was a lost, beaten child. I shouldn't have judged him so quickly, Weasley was probably his first friend, if Millicent's stories about being abused are something to go by.'_

**'Bastard!'**

Draco came out of the trance and glanced over at the Gryffindors. Granger seemed to be coming out of her trance as well, though Snape showed no signs of stirring. Potter was simply gone. He turned angrily to the Headmaster. "You left him in that abusive home?!" He shouted. Dumbledore merely shrugged sadly and Draco scoffed. "You willfully endangered him, not only by ignoring his home situation, but by not making sure he knew what he could about the world we expected him to save. My father will be hearing about this, and you can expect charges to be brought up about your neglect to your students. Where's Potter?"

The old wizard only shrugged again. "He came out of the trance after only a minute. I don't think he was even under for an entire memory. He left as soon as he was out, said he needed to speak with his friend, Mister Weasley. Apparently, he holds no real animosity for any of you."

Draco frowned. "Weasley…"

"Oh no, I have to find him!" Granger squeaked. She grabbed her bag and raced out of the room. Draco followed with one final look of disgust at their esteemed Headmaster.

"Granger, wait!" Draco called, after following her down several halls. "You won't find him if you don't know where to look!"

The bushy-haired witch turned on her heel. "And I suppose you know?" She demanded impatiently.

Draco clutched his side. He didn't care what his father said about remaining poised, he needed to start working out properly. "We have magic, Granger. Do you have one of his books, or a note he wrote you in your bag or something, something he's handled recently?"

Granger frowned and pulled the beautiful emerald barrette from her hair. "He just gave me this yesterday for my birthday." She handed it to him and Draco drew his wand, casting the tracking spell. He waved away the line that led to Granger and the white line that led in the opposite direction they'd been headed grew brighter.

He handed back the accessory. "Let's go," He said, grabbing her hand and following the line.

"Isn't that spell illegal?" Granger asked as they raced through the corridors.

"No, you're thinking of a different spell. This is the find me spell that mother's use when their children leave their site," Draco told her, gasping for breath. He realized where they were headed and groaned. "Do you know a shortcut to the Owlery, we'll never get there in time this way?" He looked back as Granger grinned and pulled him off to a side corridor.

"Hold tight," She said. She tightened her grip on his hand and placed a finger on the pendant hanging around her neck. "Sorcery." The unregistered portkey activated and they were whisked away with a pull at their navel. When they'd landed, Draco looked at the necklace, impressed. "Harry's idea, different keywords take us different places around Hogwarts. Let's go." She pulled him out of the alcove and up the stairs to the door of the Owlery. There was a crash and they could hear shouting.

"I'll have you arrested! You've killed him!" Weasley shouted.

"And I'll have you arrested for theft!" Harry shouted back. "I don't care if I go to Azkaban!"

Draco opened the door and took in the scene before them. An old gray owl was on the floor, barely breathing, and Weasley was pointing his wand at Potter, who had his own drawn at his side. "You're within your rights," He said as he saw the letter tied 'round the owls leg, addressed to Gringotts. Both wizards looked at him. "An acknowledged lord can perform any action he deems necessary to protect his fortune and title, within reason. Attacking an owl to stop theft is well within your rights." He told Potter. "And you can have him arrested not only for the theft but for threatening your standing as a Lord of the Wizengamot. It's a fine of five thousand galleons."

Granger pushed past him and walked up to Potter. "Harry, I'm so sorry! I wanted to tell you, but I was scared you wouldn't believe me," She cried.

Harry sighed and hugged her with one arm. "Don't worry, Hermione, I don't blame you. Heck, even after I saw one of your memories I didn't really believe it until Ginny told me where Ron was and what he was doing. If I don't blame her for not saying anything, I can't really blame you. He's the one in the wrong."

"What do you care about a few hundred galleons, you're the richest wizard in Britain," Ron growled, his wand still raised.

Draco answered before he could stop himself. "That doesn't give you the right, Weasel! It's his money, and he was your friend!"

"Shut up, Malfoy!" Ron shouted, rounding on the Slytherin. "Stupefy!"

Draco watched the spell come towards him and knew he didn't have time to pull his wand. He fell back on his arse and wrists, feeling one crack, and saw Potter shove Granger aside, pointing his own wand at him.

"Protego!" The Gryffindor shouted. Draco stared in awe as a visible wall of magic formed in front of him. The spell rebounded and hit Weasley with double the force, knocking the prat to the ground, unconscious. Draco started as Potter put a hand on his shoulder, breathing heavily from the shock of what had just happened. "You alright, Draco?" The Gryffindor asked in concern.

Draco smiled at him. "Remind me never to ask how someone as scrawny as you defeated the Dark Lord. I thought it was impossible to throw a shield, especially one that powerful."

Potter chuckled. "Well, you know me and rules. We don't tend to get along. You might've broken your wrist, so Hermione's going to take you to the Hospital Wing, alright?"

Draco nodded and allowed Granger to whisk him out of the Owlery. They passed Snape on their way down the corridor, a few feet from the Hospital Wing, and he stopped them.

"What's wrong with Mister Malfoy?" The Potions Master asked.

"He was attacked by Ron in the Owlery, and fell on his wrist. I'm taking him to Madame Pomfrey," Granger explained. "Harry's up there with Ron, probably making sure the prat survived the two-fold stupefication he was hit with."

Snape nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Miss Granger, I shall see to it that Mister Weasley is handled." He fingered a slim silver chain on his wrist and disappeared after whispering "Sorcery."

Draco looked at the spot their professor had been standing. "He has one, too?"

Granger giggled. "Well we had to get someone to spell them for us, none of us knew how to cast the spell without alerting the Ministry."

Draco nodded in understanding and looked at the girl as his wrist started to throb with pain, his adrenaline fading. "You're incredibly pretty when you do that, Granger."

Granger furrowed her brow. "Do what?"

Draco clutched his wrist to his chest and pecked the girl's cheek bravely. "Exist."

MEMORY OF HARRY POTTER AS VIEWED BY **SEVERUS SNAPE**

Harry moved swiftly up the corridor, hoping to avoid any Slytherins still on their way back from dinner. When he arrived at the door to Snape's office, he drew a deep breath and knocked. When permission was given, he moved into the room, closing the door behind him.

'**Why do I need to see this? It was only a couple weeks ago, and I was there,' Snape wondered.**

"Sir, I wonder if I could have a moment of your time?"

The Snape at the desk didn't look up or respond for several minutes.

'Probably trying to keep himself from spewing obscenities,' Harry thought miserably. Outwardly, his face remained impassive.

'**More like sonnets, you cheeky brat.'**

Finally, the Snape at the desk looked up. "Is there something I can help you with, Potter?"

'Ask him out, tell him you love him, jump over the desk and kiss him you coward!' Harry's mind screamed. When he spoke, however, he said, "I wondered if I could speak to you about some…functional jewelry, Sir." His mind spoke once more as Harry went on to explain. 'Coward, how can he ever love you back if he doesn't know how you feel?'

A sadder version of the internal monologue answered. 'He never will anyway.'

**Snape sat in shock as the memory and trance swirled away from him.**

Severus glided up the steps to the Owlery. When he arrived, it was in time to see Potter kneeling beside Weasley and moving a limp hand to an expensive-looking cuff link. The Gryffindor stood up straight and said "Broomstick," clearly into the tall room. Instantly, the unconscious redhead disappeared, and Snape imagine Poppy was getting the shock of her life. Typically, the portkeys were meant to leave you in an out-of-the-way alcove, but he'd added the feature that if the wearer was unconscious or seriously injured then saying the keyword for the Hospital Wing would deposit you directly onto an empty bed.

Severus watched silently as Potter grabbed a musty owl from the ground and cast several healing spells over it, simultaneously removing a letter from one of the talons. He started when Potter spoke to him.

"He's been manipulating me, treating me like a trophy since we met. When I asked Ginny about it, she said he'd been stealing from me since last year. Just a few galleons here and there, until he found out I'd taken the lord title." The mangy owl in Potter's arms cooed softly and the boy turned away from him to set the owl on one of the shorter stands. "Hermione and Ginny both knew, but they'd never said anything because they thought I wouldn't believe them. Am I really that stubborn? Am I really that _blind_?"

Snape closed most of the distance between them. "Yes," He said simply. The boy turned to him, frowning, and he grabbed the younger wizard and drew him close, encircling the lithe form in his arms. "In more than one area of your life." He leaned down and kissed the frowning mouth softly.

That made the boy grin. "It seems to be working for me," He whispered.

Severus rolled his eyes. "Only because you, stubborn Gryffindor that you are, have the luck of the world in the palm of your hand, it would seem."

Potter chuckled. "Well, you know what they say about things that work."

Severus couldn't help but smirk. "Place a Gryffindor next to it, that'll put a stop to all that working nonsense." The wizarding savior opened his mouth to respond, but Severus cut him off with another kiss, this time pouring all of the passion he felt into it. Perhaps the boy was right about his stubbornness. Merlin knew the brat's refusal to back down from any argument would give Severus a reason to shut him up for many years to come.

* * *

Love me, hate me, not sure yet if I care. This story just sort of flowed out of me in a vomitous rush. Really, you're all lucky it came out as more than a jiggling, sugary pile of goo. I swear, the hardest part was keeping Draco and Snape from acting sweeter than cotton candy.


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